Tidbits in Rome: Pasquino's Statue, Bees' Fountain

CURIOSITY OF ROME

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PASQUINO STATUE

PASQUINO'S TALKING STATUE

This statue was brought behind Navona Square in 1501 after being abandoned for centuries in a street of Rome and suddenly it started to talk to the population. Pasquino's statue took its name from a cobbler who had been working close to here in XVI century. As right of thinking was not easy to achieve in the ancient Rome governed by Popes and Cardinals, Pasquino used to attached to the basement of this statue his political and social complaining and soon was imitated by the rest of the population. By that time there were many talking statues in Rome and Pasquino used to talk with them. Still today is possible to see and read ironical complaining to the Italian Government. This statue seems to be an original Greek brought here at the time of the Roman Empire.

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BEES' FOUNTAIN BY BERNINI

Fontana delle Api, commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, features a large sea-shell with three bees on the basement, arms of the pontiff’s family, the Barberinis. This fountain was made in 1644 b.C. but moved here only in the XIX century. Certainly cannot compete with other more famous fountains projected by Bernini in Rome during his carreer but it will surprise the visitor for its originality. On the shell an inscription says that water is public and at complete disposal of people and thirsty animals. Bees' Fountain is at the corner between Barberini Square, where more famous Triton Fountain is, and Via Veneto, a street became famous during the Fifties and Sixties. "Dolce Vita" was born here in the period of maximum economic development of Italy.




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